In The Democratic Primary, Jim Davis Has The Right Stuff

Published: Aug 20, 2006

The rap on gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis of Tampa is that he is smart, thoughtful and approachable. He is a good listener, digs into details and can be trusted to do what he says he will do. He takes principled stands, is honest to a fault and champions causes for seniors, veterans and kids. Oh, but as a public speaker, he doesn't light up a room.

His opponent in the Democratic primary, on the other hand, is energizing, charming and witty. A former prosecutor, state Sen. Rod Smith of Gainesville has a razorlike mind and can play to the jury. But he can also shoot from the hip, and people who've approached him in Tallahassee tell us he can be brusque, arrogant and dismissive.

Both of these capable men are running their first statewide campaigns and struggling to introduce themselves to Democrats, half of whom remain undecided because the choices are unfamiliar.

Early in the campaign, Davis sometimes fumbled his message at political forums and political insiders began suggesting that Smith was the better candidate. However, Davis is a quick study and has improved his delivery over the course of the campaign. And people in Smith's back yard say that unlike Davis, their senator would rather address a room full of people than work with people individually.

"If you're a big entity like the University of Florida, you couldn't ask for a better guy," said Hawthorne City Commissioner John Martin. "But if you're an average person … you're lucky to get the time of day from him."

Likeable Leader

Likability is a funny thing in politics. Many voters seem to base their picks on who they'd most like to have a beer with. On that measure, it's easy to imagine Smith more comfortably holding court at Clyde's, the famous Tallahassee watering hole for politicos. The more introverted Davis would prefer to be home with his wife and two boys.

But likability has a different meaning for those of us who have known Jim Davis over the years and trust he will do the right thing, even if it means standing up to powerful interests in his own party.

Take his leadership during the firestorm surrounding Terri Schiavo. With Congress preparing to pass emergency legislation and President Bush flying back from Texas to make it law, Davis stood up to Democratic leaders who encouraged him to lie low. Rather, he took the lead in demanding that public debate be held not at midnight, but in the light of day. And he prevailed.

Davis had the courage to take a politically risky stand, and he did the right thing.

To be sure, Smith is an appealing candidate. The former state attorney who prosecuted Danny Rolling in the Gainesville student murders case is an engaging speaker and demonstrates substance behind the charm. He is informed, knows his history and conveys a love for Florida.

But he's also a bit of a flamethrower. Early in the campaign, Smith grabbed headlines by promising to junk the FCAT. He has since backed off that stand and now wants the test used to help students instead of simply grading schools - a position Davis has held all along.

Some physicians working on health care issues report Smith to be inaccessible, even brusque. In contrast, they say Davis, though no advocate of tort reform, always pays close attention to doctors' concerns and understands the complexities of health care reform.

More than any of his opponents, Davis recognizes the need to address the crisis in emergency room care and offers sensible approaches, including expanding medical services so that poor patients won't use emergency rooms for primary care.

When he served in the Legislature before going to Congress, Davis also helped enact protections for nursing home residents who ran out of money, and he has consistently promoted legislation to make medical care more accessible and affordable, especially in poor rural communities.

Proactive On Tough Issues

It is characteristic of Davis to recognize and address problems before they reach a crisis point. He recently was in the news for fighting offshore oil drilling. But he has been working on innovative ways to improve energy efficiency, encourage conservation and promote the use of alternative fuels for more than a decade.

Early on, he also understood that Florida's water sources had to be safeguarded to meet future needs. He helped fashion legislation that ended the "water wars" in West Central Florida.

In contrast, Smith's environmental commitment is suspect. Big Sugar, whose agenda has ravaged the Everglades, is contributing heavily to his campaign. And Smith has resolutely opposed dismantling the Rodman Reservoir and restoring the Ocklawaha River.

Davis also has a more proactive record on education. As a state leader, he championed legislation to reduce class sizes, make schools more accountable and give parents a greater role in school policies. He wants to increase starting salaries for teachers, and while he supports the FCAT, he is outraged that minimum-wage workers grade the essay portions and that parents can't later review the questions and answers.

Davis' proposals to ease the complex property insurance crisis are thoughtful, and he rightly sees the need to engage the public in devising solutions. And in Congress, he has consistently pushed for responsible spending, improving veteran benefits and strengthening homeland security, particularly our ports.

Davis may not possess Smith's flash, but there's no doubting his grit.

Serious-minded and innovative, he gets things done.

In the Democratic primary for governor, the Tribune endorses Jim Davis.